1. What is Report + Support?
Report + Support is an online safe-space reporting tool, developed by Culture Shift, through which students, learners, staff and visitors can report incidents of bullying or harassment anonymously or with contact details. If contact details are provided, you will be contacted by a Case Manager.
Report + Support also provides information about internal and external support, policies and procedures. This might include signposting to external support groups or internal support teams. You can also access relevant policies and procedures on the ‘Support’ section of the Report + Support site.
2. Who can make a report?
Open University students, learners, staff and visitors can make a report through Report + Support.
3. How do I know if my experience is something serious enough to be reported?
If you feel you have experienced or witnessed inappropriate behaviour that is a form of bullying or harassment you should report this. This could be any hostile, intimidating, degrading, humiliating, or offensive behaviour that affects you or another individual.
If you are unsure, we have resources on the Report + Support website with examples that demonstrate some of the behaviours that should be reported. The examples are not exhaustive, and it is best to report if you are unsure.
4. What sort of incidents can I report using this tool?
The Report + Support tool lists the following incident types; you can select any number of them to describe what happened:
- An assault: Inflicting intentional or reckless harm towards another individual is the general definition of assault in the United Kingdom. Assaults are typically referred to as offences against the person. Harm encompasses both physical and psychological harm, which includes causing someone to fear for their own safety.
- Bullying: Bullying is unacceptable and unwanted behaviour, usually repeated over time, that causes a person to feel offended, intimidated, fearful or humiliated and which involves real or perceived misuse of power or power imbalance. Power imbalances could be social or group power, power due to role, physical strength, or access to embarrassing information. Power can include coercion through fear or intimidation.
- Discrimination: Discrimination is when a person or group of people are treated less favourably than others based on a relevant or perceived characteristic. For example, age, caring for dependants, disability, experience of being in care, gender reassignment (including gender, gender expression, gender identity), marital or civil partnership status, membership of the Traveller community, political opinion, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion or belief, sex, sexual orientation, socio-economic background, trade union membership status, and type of employment contract, such as part-time or full-time (for Open University employees only).
- Harassment (non-sexual): Harassment is when someone engages in unwanted conduct that intentionally or unintentionally violates a person’s dignity or creates a hostile, degrading, humiliating, or offensive environment.
- A hate crime: A hate crime is when a person demonstrates hostility to someone on the basis of disability, race, religion, sexual orientation or transgender identity.
- Sexual misconduct: Sexual misconduct is when a person violates someone’s dignity or creates an intimidating, hostile, degrading, humiliating or offensive environment by carrying out unwanted behaviour of a sexual nature.
- Microaggressions: Microaggressions are often ‘everyday’ comments or behaviours that, intentionally or not, communicate hostile, derogatory or negative messages to someone based on a characteristic they share with a particular group.
An ‘Other’ option is also available to select if you wish to describe an incident which is not listed.
5. What happens when you submit a report with contact details?
When you submit a named report with contact details, the Student or Staff Casework Team (formerly known as the Student Safe Space Reporting Team (SSSRT)) and the Resolution Team will provide an initial response within three working days. The processes for both staff and student reports are detailed in our flowcharts.
6. If I make a report with contact details, will The Open University launch a formal complaint or tell the police?
Not without discussing it with you first. The Report + Support system is a tool for you to let us know about incidents of bullying or harassment and seek support. The only instances in which the University would ever take action outside of your control are where we are obliged to do so:
- Where we believe you or others to be at risk of significant harm, including abuse.
- If you are under 18.
Please note that Report + Support is not an emergency service. If you are in immediate danger and worried about your safety or that of others, please call 999.
Other support:
- NHS 111 – Provides urgent medical advice and can direct you to the most appropriate healthcare service when you need help, but it is not a life-threatening emergency.
- Police 101 – A non-emergency police service for reporting incidents, concerns, or crime when there is no immediate danger and 999 is not required.
- National Stalking Helpline (NSH) – Offers confidential advice and support to people experiencing stalking, helping them understand their options and stay safe.
- Shout – A free, confidential 24/7 text messaging service providing mental health support for anyone feeling distressed, overwhelmed, or in need of immediate emotional support.
7. What happens if I make an anonymous report?
Choosing to report anonymously means The Open University won’t be able to contact you to offer any advice or support, or fully investigate the incident. If you would prefer that action be taken, please report with your contact details, and a Case Manager will be in touch with you, usually within three working days.
8. Why do Anonymous Reports Matter
Even though the University may not be able to act directly on anonymous reports, these reports are vital for understanding our community's experiences and preventing inappropriate behaviour.
Anonymous reports can help to identify patterns and trends. This helps the University plan actions and allocate resources effectively. For example, reports might lead to additional training on harassment or campaigns for students.
Submitting an anonymous report does make a difference. These reports often provide the only insight into what is really happening, and they are crucial for collective action. If you have seen or experienced something serious enough to upset or concern you, the University wants to know; please report it.
9. What is the difference between anonymous reports and reports with contact details?
The Open University does not know who has made an anonymous report, and therefore cannot reach out and provide support or investigate the report. Instead, for anonymous reports, they are collated to enable the University to identify patterns, develop plans, and allocate resources to address negative behaviours (see point 8).
If you would like to receive support or consider informal or formal options to address a concern, you should make a report with contact details. A Case Manager or Resolution Partner will contact you, usually within 3 working days, to discuss how you wish to proceed, including the option to launch a full investigation.
However, if you report anonymously, you can self-refer to our student welfare team, who can offer tailored support, respecting your confidentiality.
10. Can I report on behalf of someone else?
Yes. If you have witnessed an incident or if you are worried about someone else, you can make a report on their behalf. If you complete a report with contact details, we will discuss what you witnessed with you and investigate the incident, as far as we can, however may require the consent of the individual who the incident was against. We will not be able to discuss any of the other person’s personal details or their case with you.
11. What happens if someone makes a report on my behalf?
There may be occasions where you do not feel ready to make a report yourself and would prefer if someone else made it on your behalf. Anyone who makes a report on your behalf should agree to this with you first.
If someone makes a report on your behalf, a Case Manager or Resolution Partner will contact you and ask if you are aware that this report has been made. They will only proceed with the conversation if you confirm that you are aware and wish to continue the process and get the right support put in place.
12. Why am I being asked to disclose monitoring data?
We ask for this data so that we can monitor the different experiences of certain groups and be able to take more targeted action to address issues at The Open University. Answering these questions is optional and can be skipped. The information is not required to submit a report.
Your data is important to us. Please be assured that all information you submit to us is treated with the utmost confidentiality. For more information, please see the Safe Space Reporting System Privacy Notice.
13. Will the responses I provide to the personal data questions change any of my personal data held on my staff/student record?
The responses you provide to the personal data questions on the Report + Support System will not change the personal data held on your staff/student record. The anonymised data feeds into high-level statistical reporting, to help us gain a better understanding of whether certain groups of people within The Open University are experiencing issues with assault, bullying, discrimination, harassment, hate crime or sexual misconduct.
14. What do you do with the data gathered from reports?
The data collected from Report + Support is used to support thematic analysis regarding Bullying and Harassment behaviours within the University.
15. How secure is the data and information sent through the system?
Data held on Report + Support is General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) compliant, and further information about how data is collected and stored is outlined in the Privacy Notice. The system has been security tested by both the developer (Culture Shift) and The Open University.
For more information on our third-party providers' security, please see here: How we keep data secure — Culture Shift (culture-shift.co.uk)
16. How long is data stored on the system?
We will retain personal data only for as long as necessary to fulfil the purposes for which we collected it. We will keep records of reports as outlined in the Privacy Notice.
17. Who are the administrators on the system?
The system is administered by The Open University EDI (Equality, Diversity and Inclusion) Team, which has oversight of all submitted reports.
The Student Safe Space Reporting Team (SSSRT) will be able to see all reports from students; this includes anonymous reports from students. The Resolution Team will be able to see all reports from staff; this includes anonymous reports from staff.
Culture Shift will not be able to see any of the reports.
18. How will The Open University manage malicious complaints?
If a report is found to be malicious or vexatious, it will be addressed under existing student and staff disciplinary procedures following investigation and/or exploratory conversations.
19. I am a member of staff and also a student. I have been reported in my capacity as a student; will my line manager be informed?
If you have been reported as a student, your line manager would not usually be informed; however, a judgement would be made considering all the circumstances.
20. I am a line manager and one of my direct reports has been reported. I am not confident in managing investigations related to bullying and harassment. Where can I go for advice and support?
If a direct report has been reported and you would like some support, please contact the People Hub for advice.
21. I am a new line manager. Is there training on Report + Support I can access?
We do not currently offer training for Report + Support; however, we encourage new line managers to review our Report + Support intranet pages for information and resources. If you do need further support or have questions, please email report-and-support@open.ac.uk.
22. I have had a report made about me. Will I get an opportunity to respond to the allegation as part of the investigation?
Yes. If a report has been submitted about you, you will have the right to reply.
23. I have had a report submitted about me by a student that I tutor. Will the student automatically get moved from my tutor group?
Whilst an allegation is under investigation, The Open University will make temporary arrangements to protect both the person making the allegation and the person about whom the complaint is made. These may include:
- Arranging for a move to a different tutor group/cluster, if they are in the same group as the person about whom the allegation is made.
- Arranging for a move to a different group at a residential school, including online residential schools, if appropriate.
If the allegation is upheld, The Open University will consider which temporary steps should be made permanent and what other steps should be taken to protect the person making the allegation.
24. I am an AL, and I have had a complaint made about me. Should I contact the student whilst this is being investigated?
In most cases the answer is “no”, but the Case Manager will be able to advise on this, depending on the specific circumstances and nature of the complaint.
25. I am a student and have submitted a report about my tutor. Can my tutor be reallocated?
Whilst an allegation is under investigation, The Open University will make temporary arrangements to protect both the person making the allegation and the person about whom the complaint is made. These may include:
- Arranging for a move to a different tutor group/cluster, if they are in the same group as the person about whom the allegation is made.
- Arranging for a move to a different group at a residential school, including online residential schools, if appropriate.
If the allegation is upheld, The Open University will consider which temporary steps should be made permanent and what other steps should be taken to protect the person making the report.
Updated: October 2026